Key container



J. E. WILLIAMS 2,546,413

KEY CONTAINER Fild May 2 0, 1950 oooo/ooolooo IN V EN TOR. k///Z BY oooooooooo .rllllllllllll TIIL March 27, 1951 o'ooooooo'fo Patented Mar. 27, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE KEY CONTAINER John E. Williams, Chicago, Ill.

Application May 20, 1950, Serial No. 163,127

, 6 Claims. l This invention relates to a new and improved container for keys and more particularly to such a container in which the keys may be given a linear movement to expose the operating portion of the key.

Key containers have heretofore been provided carrying keys on pivots or hooks which present a bulky appearance and also involve some difliculty in selecting a key desired for use. Other key containers which provide for linear movement of individual keys have comprised metal housings which are bulky and generally undesirable in that they present a rigid and unyielding lump for carrying in the pocket.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved key container which provides individual housings for the several keys.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a exible key container with positive means for giving a linear movement to individual keys.

It is an additional object to provide a key container in which buttons or the like are secured to the keys to serve as nger Contact members in moving the keys into and out of the containers.

It is also an object to provide such a container having yieldable means for holding the iinger contact members and the keys at their limits of in and out movement.

It is another object to provide a key container having pockets opening in opposite directions with the body of the container formed of a single strip of flexible material.

It is a further object to provide such a key container having spacing means secured to the body for spacing the walls apart a distance approximately the thickness of a key.

It is an additional object to provide a key container which is simple in design and construction and adapted for commercial production and use.

Other and further objects will appear as the description proceeds.

I have shown certain preferred embodiments of my invention in the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure 1 is a plan view of the blank body member used in forming the key container;

Figure 2 is a view of the blank of Figure l in partially folded position;

Figure 3 is a plan vievv of the container formed from the blank of Figures 1 and 2 in fully assembled relation with keys indicated therein in broken lines;

Figure 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a section taken on line 5-5 of Figure 3; and

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 3, but showing a container for two keys.

The body member Il shown in Figure 1 comprises an elongated strip of exible material. In the form shown, the strip Il comprises a section I3 and a shorter section I5 secured to section I3 by means of stitching indicated at I6. The body may be formed of a single unitary piece of material when it is made of material such as exible plastic or the like, which is similar on both sides. When formed of leather of a type showing a hair side and a flesh side and when itis desired to have the leather show a similar side on both external faces of the assembled key container, it is necessary to stitch two pieces together, as shown in Figure l. With leather, a single piece may be used if it is desired to have one face of the key container show the hair side of the leather while the other face shows the flesh side of the leather which may, of course, be given a suede finish.

As clearly shown in Figure 2, the body member I I comprises an outer fold A, an intermediate fold B and a second outer fold C. |The outer folds A and C are each provided with elongated slots I8 which extend parallel to the sides of the folds. These slots have enlarged end portions IS adjacent the open ends of the pockets formed in the key container and similar enlarged end portions 2l adjacent the inner ends of the pockets. It will benoted that the slots I8 taper from the enlarged portions 2i to a larger dimension where they join the enlarged portions IS.

The intermediate fold B is provided with a plurality of parallel elongated slots 23, as best shown in section in Figure 4. The spacer members 25 extend through the slots 23 and are longer than the slots. These members 25 have notches 2l formed in their ends to nt the intermediate fold B at the end of the slots E3 and thus hold the spacers in position.

The edges of the body portion i I are shown as provided with uniformly spaced perforations 3U. As shown in Figures 3 and 6, these edges are secured together by laces 32 which are laced through the perforations 3D. It will be understood that this method of securing the edges together forms no part of the present invention since these edges may be stitched or otherwise secured together, as desired.

The spacers 25 are of such a thickness that the keys 26 in the pockets between the spacers are not frictionally held by the Walls of the pockets with any substantial degree of tightness. The spacers cause the thickness of the pockets to approximate that of the usual type of key. These spacers are preferably formed of stiff but flexible material such as, for example, strips of heavy sole leather. While the spacers 25 are retained in position in the assembled article by means of the slots in the intermediate section B in which they are tted, they may be secured to the outer folds A and C by means of the application of adhesive, if desired.

As best shown in Figure 5, key moving members are provided having finger engaging portions 34 extending outwardly of the slots and having shank portions 35 located in the slots I 8 or in the enlarged end portions I9 or 2l, depending upon the position of the key 26.- These members are Y 3 also provided with inner key securing means 38. The shankfportion '36 isof aA diameter greatery than theviidth of the' slot i8 and nts within the round enlarged end portions I9 or 2l of the slot Since the slot I8 is formed in exible material, a comparatively small pressure of the finger against.. the fingerpiece 34 Will separate the walls of the slot I3 and permit movement of the key 25from the position in which it is housedV in the pocket to the outer position for use. The taper of the slot I8 makes the key held more positivelyin the.

inner than in the outer position. In the outer position, the. key iserasrectvr by thehand in use and itis unnecessary for the key containerv itself. tohave any substantialeifect-in maintaining the key in this outermostpositien. The enlarged section i9 is, however, slightly larger than the adjacent end of theslot liiso that the key willnorm-ally remain in the, outer position when it is manually placed there.

Asshown in liigures` 3, and 6, the finger contact portions 34 .maybe marked with numerals or letters to designate the different keys held in the container so that Athey may. be readily iden ied'by the user.

The forms of construction shown provide a light, compact key container withsufcient yield or flexibility softhat it isnot objectionable when carried in the pocket. The keys are separately housed and the desired key may be readily identied and pushed out for use. The use of the single blank reduces cost of manufacture and provides an eiiicient construction. The manner of assembling the. separators and holding them in place also facilitates manufacture. rIhe keys are adequately restrained against accidental movement from the container and yet are easily pushed out for use.

While I have shown certain preferred embodiments of my invention, these are to be understood to be illustrative onlyy as Ivcontemplate such modications as come within the. spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A key container. comprising a pocket of f flexible material open at one,v end, said pocket being of an area to enclose a key, a face of the container having an elongated slot formed therein, the ends of the slot being enlarged, a key moving member having a nger contact portion externally of the slot, a shank portion extending through the slot, and a key securing portion, inside the pocket, the shank being wider than theA slot and fitting into the enlarged end portions of the slot, the shank flexing the side edges of the slot when moved along the slot.

2. A key container .comprising a exible elongated body member, said member being twice reversely bent and folded upon itself with the adjacent edges of the folded portions secured tgether to form oppositely extending open-ended pockets, said pockets each being adapted to enclose keys, slots formed in the outer wallsof the pockets and key moving members extending through the slots with key securing portions inside the pockets, shanks extending through the slots and nnger contact portions externally of the slots.

3. A key container comprising a flexible elongated body member, said member being twice reversely bent and folded upon itself with the adjacent edges of the folded portions secured together to form oppositely extending open-ended pockets, said pockets each being adapted to enlQSe keys, Spper members. SEQUIQd f3.0 the, in:

termediate fold of the body member, said spacer members beingfelongatedg and extending lengthwise of thepbckets to limit the movementof keys in the pockets, slots formed in the outer walls of the pockets and key moving members extending through the slots with key securing portions inside the pockets, shanks extending through the slots. and nger contact portions externally of the s lots.

4. A key container comprising a flexible elongatedbody member, said member being twice reversely bent and folded upon itself with the adjacentv edges of the folded portions secured together to'form oppositely extending open-ended` pockets, said pocketseach being adapted to enclose keys, spacer.mernbers secured to theintermediate fold of the body member, said spacer,

members being elongated and, extending lengthwise of the pocketstolimit the movementof keys.,

in the pockets, saidfspacers having a thickness :n each pocket of approximately 'thefthicknessrv of a key, slotsformed in the outer walls of the vpockets andkey moving members extending', through the slotswith. key securing portions inside the pockets, shanks extending through 'the spaced apart such adistanceas" to receive a key.

therebetween and "rspacerf, members tted into said intermediatefold sltsand extending into the pockets on both sides of the intermediate' fold, slots formed inthe outer walls of the pock-` ets and key movingl members'extending through the slots with key securing portions inside thev pockets, shanks extendingY through the 'slots' and finger contact portions externally ofthe slots.

6. A key container comprising a flexible elongated` body member, said member being twice, re,- versely bent and folded upon itself with the adjjacent edges of the folded portions secured together to form oppositely, extending open-ended pockets, said pocketsfeac'h being adapted to 'enclose keys, the intermediate vfold of the body member having elongated slots formed therein spaced apart such a distance as to receive a key therebetween and spacer members fitted into said intermediate fold` slots andext'ending into the pockets on both sides of the intermediate fold, the spacer members being longer than the slots in which they t and` having notches in their ends to engage the intermediate fold at the endsof theI slots an'd retain the spacers in position in the slots, slots formed in the' outer Walls of the pockets and key movingl members extending through the slots with key Securing portions inside the pockets, shanks extending through the slots and finger contact portions externally vof the slots.

` JOHN E. WILLIAMS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES @TENTS 

